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The White House did not comment on who was behind the latest attack, but said that such incidents are hardly rare.

"On a regular basis, there are bad actors out there who are attempting to achieve intrusions into our system," said a second White House official.

"This is a constant battle for the government and our sensitive government computer systems, so it's always a concern for us that individuals are trying to compromise systems and get access to our networks."

Craig Young, security researcher at Tripwire, said that if Russia is indeed behind the attack it could have serious political consequences.

"Generally it is nearly impossible to attribute attacks with 100 percent certainty. But if the Kremlin is in fact implicated in this attack, it could have stark ramifications for diplomatic ties between the US and Russia," he said.

"The biggest question in my mind, however, is how the White House came to learn of the breach and what indicators are casting suspicion on Russia."